Releasable slider



Oct. 22, 1957 N. J. Poux 2,810,175

RELEASABLE SLIDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 2, 1953 N051. J. PUMA 1 INVENTOR.

A ram 5V United States RELEASABLE SLIDER Noel J. Poux, Meadville, Pa., assignor to Talon, Inc., a corporation of Pennsylvania This invention relates to slide fasteners, and more particularly to an improved slider of the so-called releasable type having means permitting selective spacing of the slider wings relative to one another so as to facilitate the freeing of the sliders from clothing or other foreign materials when accidentally caught therein due to the longitudinal movement of the slider along the fastener elements.

Heretofore, various types of removable or releasable sliders have been suggested and used, but most of these sliders had several disadvantages which rendered their use unsatisfactory. Most of these sliders employed the use of hinged plates or wings having means for locking the wings in spaced operative relation after the slider was assembled on the fastener elements. Such sliders not only consisted of a plurality of intricate parts which were diflicult and expensive to manufacture and assemble, but oftentimes, the engaging means for holding the wings in spaced relation would wear and become loose and thereby permitting play between the plates which would result in the wings spreading sufficiently to become displaced from the stringers, thereby defeating the primary purpose for which such sliders were intended.

According to my invention, there is provided a slider consisting of two independent wings or plates having means incorporated therewith for holding them securely together when they are disposed in their proper spaced operating relation, therby eliminating the above mentioned disadvantages.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide an improved releasable slider having a latch member arranged therewith which is actuated manually to elfect automatic spreading of the slider wings to a predetermined desired relative spacing so as to loosen the slider upon the fastener elements.

It is another object of this invention to provide a slider wherein the means for holding the slider wings in their normal operative spaced relation is independent of the pull or actuating member by which the slider is normally moved along the fastener to open and close the same, thereby eliminating any danger of unintentionally releasing the slider or spreading of the wings by the normal manipulation of the pull or actuating member.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved slider of the releasable type which is simple and inexpensive in its construction and use, and yet at the same time strong and rugged in its construction.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide such a slider which will not become displaced from the fastener stringers either when the wings are in their normal operating position or when the wings are spread apart a predetermined distance to provide more freedom of movement along the fastener elements thereby eliminating the danger of the slider from becoming accidentally displaced and lost from the fastener. It is a more specific object of this invention to provide means for holding the wings of such a slider in securely proper spaced relation so as to prevent relative planar atent 2,810,175 Patented Oct. 22, 19 57 displacement of the wings when they are in their normal operative position but which means may be actuated to permit relative planar separation of the wings to a predetermined spacing therebetween but not total disconnection of the wings.

Various other objects and advantages of this invention will be more apparent in the course of the following specification, and will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, there is shown for the purpose of illustration, an embodiment and modifications thereof which my invention may assume in practice.

In these drawings:

Fig. l is a plan view showing the preferred form of slider of my invention,

Fig. 2 is a side view of the slider shown in Fig. 1, partly in section, showing the slider parts in their normal operative positions,

Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken on line 33 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 3 showing the slider parts in position to effect spreading of the Wings to apredetermined spaced position,

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of the upper wing of the slider,

Fig. 6 is an end elevational fragmentary view of the upper wing as shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a plan view showing a modified form of slider of my invention,

Fig. 8 is a side view of the slider shown in Fig. 7,

partly in section, showing the slider parts in theirnormal operating positions,

Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken on line 9-9 of Fig. 7,

Fig. 10 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 9, showing the slider parts in position to effect spreading of the wings to a predetermined spaced position,

Fig. 11 is an end elevational view of the upper wing of the slider shown in Fig. 7,

Fig. 12 is a sectional view taken on line 1212 of Fig. 11,- and Fig. 13 is a fragmentary view of the inner end of the stud-like portion of the wing 2 showing a slight modified construction of the locking recess therein.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, there is shown in Figs. 1 through 7, a slider of the preferred form in accordance with the present invention. This slider consists generally of overlying spaced-apart upper andlower wings 2 and 3, respectively, having inwardly extending guide flange portions 4 along their marginal edges and connected at one end thereof by a neck portion 5 so as to provide substantially a Y-shaped channel between the wings into and through which the fastener elements of a conventional slide fastener pass when the slider is moved therealong for engaging anddisengaging the same in a manner well know to those skilled in the art.

According to the present invention, as more clearly shown in Figs. 1 through 7, the connecting neck portion 5 comprises an inwardly extending stud-like portion 6 arranged integrally with and centrally of the upper or top Wing at the upper end thereof. At the upper end of the opposed or lower wing 3, there is arranged integrally therewith and centrally thereof, a larger inwardly extending portion 7 having a socket or recess 8 therein conforming substantiallyto the stud-like portion 6 of the wing 2 and in which it is telescopically disposed for a purpose hereinafter to be described. Both the stud-like portion 6 and the socket 8 with which it co-operates are preferably polygonal-shaped so as to provide a key-like arrangement forpreventing rotative movement of the two wings 2 and 3 relative to one another.

In the stud-like portion .6 of the wing 2, there is arranged in an aperture 9 therein, a plunger-like member which is disposed substantially perpendicular to the wings 2 and 3 with the lower end thereof extending into the socket 8 of the wing 3 at the bottom thereof. The upper end of this plunger-like member 10 is preferably rounded as at 12 and normally extends above the surface of the upper wing 2, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Adjacent the upper end 12 of the plunger-like member 10, there is provided a shoulder 13 which co-operates with a shoulder 14 arranged in the side wall of the aperture 9 so as to limit the outward movement of the plungerlike isiember 10 and to maintain it in position in the aperture On the lower end of the plunger-like member 10, there is arranged on the opposed sides thereof, beveled or cam surfaces 15 and 16 with the cam surface 15 adapted to co-operate with a beveled surface 17 arranged adjacent the bottom of the socket 8 in the wing 3. The beveled or cam surface 16 is adapted to co-operate with a leaflike resilient latch member 18 horizontally arranged in an aperture 19 in the lower wing 3. The inner end of this latch member is staked or securely fixed to the body of the wing 3, as at 20, with the outer end 18a thereof movably disposed in an enlarged recess 21 adjacent the upper end of the wing 3.

As more clearly shown in Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings, in the side wall of the post or stud-like portion 6 adjacent the outer end thereof, there is arranged a rectangular-shaped recess 22 which communicates with the aperture 9 in the stud-like portion.. In this recess there is provided an inner shoulder 23 and an outer shoulder 24 immediately therebelow. The outer end 18a of the leaf-like spring member 18 extends into the recess 21 and co-operates with these two shoulders 23 and 24 in a manner and for a purpose hereinafter to be described.

On the outer side of the upper wing 2 there is arranged a lug portion 25 which is spaced substantially centrally of the wing and at a spaced distance from the aperture 9 and the plunger'like member 10 therein. There is pivotally attached, as at 26, to this lug portion 25, a pull member 27 for maniplating the slider to open and close the fastener in a manner well known to those skilled in the art.

Having described the construction of my improved slider, it functions in the following manner. It will be assumed that the wings 2 and 3 are in their normal spaced-apart operative positions with the outer end 1841 of the latch member 18 seated on the shoulder 23 in the recess 22 of the stud-like member 6 so as to normally prevent the wings from moving apart, as shown in Figs. 1,

2 and 3 of the drawings. If material or other foreign objects are caught between the wings of the slider and the fastener elements, the wings are moved apart sufficiently to release the caught material. This is accomplished merely by moving the pull member 27 to its uppermost position about its pivoted connection 26 with the lug 25 so that the body portion of the pull member rests on the upper end portion 12 of the plunger member 10, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The pull member is then moved further toward parallelism with the slider wings and in so doing, the plunger member 10 is forced down- Wardly. into the aperture 9 in which it is housed. In the downward movement of the plunger member 10, it will be seen that the beveled or cam surface 16 adjacent the inner or lower end thereof strikes the outer end 18a of the resilient latch member 18 thereby moving it sidcwise in the recess 22 and out of the engagement with the shoulder 23 so as to permit the slider wings 2 and 3 to move a slight distance apart, as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. The wings 2 and 3 will move apart until the end 18a of the latch member 18 seats on the outer shoulder 24 in the recess 22 whereby any further move ment of the wings relative to one another is arrested. When it is desired to restore the wings 2 and 3 to their normally spaced operative positions relative to one another, the pull member 27 is lifted and the wings 2 and 3 manually forced together whereby the plunger member 10 is forced upwardly and the end 18a of the latch member 18 is again seated on the shoulder 23 in the recess 22 in the stud-like portion 6 with the shoulder 14 which co-operates with the shoulder 13 of the plunger member 14) limiting the upward movement and preventing displacement of it from the aperture 9.

It will be understood that the shoulders 23 and 24 are spaced from one another a predetermined distance. That is, merely a distance sufiicient to permit the wings to move apart a few thousandths of an inch but not enough to permit the slider to be removed or displaced from the fastener chain. In other words, the wings are permitted to be moved apart only suliiciently to free the caught material and if the wings are not fully closed when the slider is free, the slider will still function to open and close the fastener without danger of the fastener elements opening up behind the slider.

In Figs. 7 through 12 of the drawings, there is shown a slight modification of the slider of the present invention having a construction generally the same as that of the preferred form. In this modified form, there is provided, as before, a plunger-like member 30 which is disposed in an aperture 31 of the stud-like portion 6 of the upper wing 2 of the slider with the upper end 32 of the plunger-like member 30 extending above the outer surface of the wing 2 and being off-set relative to the main or lower portion of the plunger-like member 30.

, On one side of this plunger-like member 30 at the lower end thereof, there is arranged a shoulder 33 which co-operates with a shoulder 34 arranged in the wall of the aperture 31 which arrangement is provided for limit ing the outer movement of the plunger-like member 30. The opposite bottom side of this plunger-like member is beveled as at 35 which beveled surface co-operates with a leaf-like resilient latch member 36. As before, one end of the latch member 36 is staked or securely fixed in the body of the lower Wing 3 as at 37 with the opposite free end 38 thereof movably disposed in a recess 39 adjacent the bottom of the socket 8 of this lower wing.

As more clearly shown in Figs. 11 and 12 of the drawings, there is arranged in the side of the post or stud-like portion 6, a rectangular-shaped recess 40 which communicates with the aperture 9 in this stud-like portion. In this recess there is provided an inner shoulder 41 and an outer shoulder 42 arranged therebelow. The outer free end 38 of the latch member 36 co-operates with these shoulders 41 and 42 to hold the two wings in either one of two spaced positions as previously described in connection with the preferred form.

On the outer side of the upper wing 2 substantially centrally thereof and at a spaced distance from the aperture 31 and the plunger-like member 30 disposed therein, there is arranged a lug portion 43 to which a pull member 44 is pivotally attached, as at 45, for manipulating the slider in a well known manner. This modified slider construction operates in the same manner as the preferred form.

In Fig. 13 of the drawings there is shown a slight modified arrangement of the recess adjacent the lower end of the stud-like portion 6 of the wing 2. In this construction there is provided, as before, an inner shoulder and an outer shoulder 52. There is arranged and extending between these two shoulders an inclined or beveled surface 51. Such an arrangement is provided so that the wings 2 and 3 will be moved automatically back to their normal operative spaced position by the action of the latch spring member 36. That is, when the plunger member 10 is forced downwardly by the action of the pull 27, the cam surface 23 of the plunger will move the end 38 of the latch member 36 out of engagement with the shoulder 50. In so doing, the end of the latch member will ride down over the inclined surface 51 until it rests on the outer shoulder 52. When the pressure on the pull member 27 and in turn on the plunger member 10 is relieved and the caught material removed from between the slider wings, i. e., the two wings 2 and 3 will be automatically urged and moved toward one another due to the resilient action of the latch member 36 with the end of the latch member riding up over the inclined surface 51 until it is again seated on the shoulder 50 thereby moving and positioning the wings 2 and 3 to their normal operative spaced relation.

As a result of my invention, it will be seen that there is provided an improved slider of the releasable type for slide fasteners of a new and novel construction. It will be seen that this slider is of a simple construction which can be easily assembled and operated. A most important aspect is that my improved slider cannot become accidentally removed from the fastener chain in that the movement of the wings relative to one another is limited to a predetermined distance. Also, the slider will function to close the fastener not only when the wings are in their normal closed position but also when the wings are released or slightly thereby eliminating any danger of the fastener opening up behind the slider when manipulated, which of course .is highly objectionable.

While I have shown and described an embodiment and modifications thereof which my invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that the embodiment and modifications are merely for the purpose of illustration and description, and that other forms may be devised within the scope of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A slider for slide fasteners of the class described comprising overlying spaced wings, means detachably connecting said wings together at one end thereof, said connecting means including a. male portion projecting inwardly from one of said wings, a female portion projecting inwardly from the other of said Wings in opposition to said male portion and provided with an opening adapted to slidingly receive said male member, a plunger-like member arranged in an opening in said wings centrally of said male and female portions so as to be disposed in and being movable therein in a plane substantially perpendicular to said wings and having one end extending above the outer surface of one of said wings, a resilient latch member carried by one of said wings which cooperates with means carried by the male portion of the other of said wings for locking and maintaining the slider wings in spaced parallel operating relation, and means carried by said plunger-like member which co-operates with said latch member to actuate the same whereby said slider wings are permitted to move apart so as to assume another predetermined spaced apart position.

2. A slider-for slide fasteners, as defined in claim 1, wherein the latch member consists of an elongated leaflike spring member which co-operates with a recess in the side of said male portion with which said leaf-like spring member engages to lock the slider wings in a parallel operating relation.

3. A slider for slide fasteners, as defined in claim 1, wherein the means carried by the plunger-like member which cooperates with the latch member to actuate the same consists of a cam surface which acts to move the latch member out of engagement with the other of said wings when said plunger-like member is forced inwardly.

4. A slider for slide fasteners, as defined in claim 1, including a pull member pivotally attached to the outer surface of said first mentioned wing at a spaced distance from said plunger-like member, said pull member adapted to abut the upper end of said plunger-like member and to actuate the same when said pull member is moved to one of its extreme positions substantially parallel to said Wings.

5. A slider for slide fasteners of the class described comprising overlying spaced wings, means detachably conmeeting said wings together at one end thereof, said connecting means including a male portion projecting inward- 1y from one of said wings, a female portion projecting inwardly of the other of said wings in opposition to said male portion and provided with an opening adapted to slidingly receive s-aid male member, a plunger-like member arranged in an opening in said wings centrally of said male and female portions so as to be disposed in and being movable therein in a plane substantially perpendicular to said wings and extending above the outer surface of one of said wings, means carried by one of said wings which co-operate with means carried by the male portion of the other of said wings for locking and maintaining normally the wings in spaced parallel operating relation, and means arranged on the inner end of said plunger-like member which co-operates with and actuates said last mentioned means so as to permit said wings to be moved apart to another predetermined spaced apart position.

6. A slider for slide fasteners of the class described comprising a pair of spaced-apart parallel wings, means arranged at one end of said wings connecting the same together so as to provide a Y-shaped channel therebetween, said connecting means including an inwardly projecting stud-like portion carried by one of said wings, the other of said wings having a socket arranged therein conforming to and in which said stud-like portion is disposed, a movable plunger-like member arranged in an opening in said stud-like portion having a portion which extends above the upper surface of said first mentioned wing so as to be disposed substantially perpendicular to said wings, a latch member carried by the other of said wings adjacent the socket portion carried thereby, said stud-like portion having means carried thereby with which said latch member co-operates to lock the slider wings in parallel operating relation, and means carried by said plunger-like member which co-operates with said latch member to actuate the same whereby said slider wings are permitted to move apart so as to assume another predetermined spaced apart position.

7. A slider for slide fasteners, as defined in claim 6, wherein the latch member consists of an elongated leaflike spring member which co-operates with a recess in the side of said stud-like portion with which said leaf-like spring member engages to lock the slider wings in a parallel operating relation.

8. A slider for slide fasteners, as defined in claim 6,

wherein the means carried by the plunger-like member which cooperates with the latch member to actuate the same consists of a cam surface which acts to move the latch member out of engagement with said stud-like portion when said plunger-like member is forced inwardly. A 9. A slider for slide fasteners, as defined in claim 6, including a pull member pivotally attached to the outer surface of said first mentioned wing at a spaced distance from said plunger-like member, said pull member adapted to abut the upper end of said plunger-like member and to actuate the same when said pull member is moved to one of its extreme positions substantially parallel to said wings.

10. A slider for slide fasteners, as defined in claim 6, including camming means for automatically moving said latch member into said recess whereby said wings are urged into parallel normal operating relation.

11. A slider for slide'fasteners, as defined in claim 7, including a cam surface for automatically moving said leaf-like spring member into said recess whereby said wings are urged into parallel normal operating relation due to the resiliency of said leaf-like spring member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

